Perception
by Sakura the Cookie Monster
Summary: What is on the minds of the senshi's mothers?
1. Hatred

Why so sad, little child?  
  
You're not sad, you say?  
  
You want to be a model?  
  
Ambitious, are we?  
  
Yes.  
  
You're such a pretty doll you are, my child.  
  
You're just an innocent.  
  
I loved you when you were just a little girl.  
  
I loved you when you used to pretend to be whatever was on T.V.  
  
I loved you when you were sitting in the back of daddy's pick-up   
  
truck, not caring at all.  
  
But now, you are nothing, dear child.  
  
You're something, you say?  
  
I think not.  
  
I think you're a whore.  
  
You asked me what a whore was when you were little.  
  
I do not answer you.  
  
And I never will.  
  
Whores do not deserve an answer.  
  
They must be punished.  
  
For they are evil within.  
  
You've changed into one ever since you met Tsukino-baka and her   
  
mismatched, idiotic friends.  
  
I don't like the way you've changed, child.  
  
You've become boy-crazy and idiotic, just like them.  
  
Or maybe you've changed ever since you came home with that stray   
  
cat.  
  
That animal has been on my nerves for quite a while.  
  
I remember our first Christmas since you've changed.  
  
I gave you a make-up kit and silver earrings.  
  
You smile when you saw your gift, grateful for the reward for   
  
being good.  
  
It was no reward, child.  
  
You were never good.  
  
On the contrary, you were being a very bad girl.  
  
I only bought it for you because a whore needs some heavy make-up   
  
and gaudy clothes.  
  
I just look through you.  
  
You're nothing more than a troublemaker, now.  
  
You're often brought home by the police.  
  
And you have shamed me countless times.  
  
How can you smile at me like that?  
  
Do you enjoy shaming your mother all the time?  
  
Worthless little child.  
  
I keep thinking back when you were born.  
  
I don't know why I didn't just abandoned you at an orphanage.  
  
There, you wouldn't smile all the damn time.  
  
You would feel loneliness crawling in your heart.  
  
Tonight was a normal night.  
  
I see you getting ready for a date.  
  
Such a whore you are, dear child.  
  
Dressing in such a manner.  
  
Wearing such a tacky shade of red lipstick on your lips.  
  
I'm ashamed of you.  
  
You left me fat after the pregnancy.  
  
I'm no longer beautiful or desirable to your father anymore.  
  
How do you feel about that?  
  
You put on those silver earrings that you received on Christmas,   
  
not caring how I feel.  
  
You never did care how I felt, did you?  
  
You walk out the door, smiling all the while.  
  
You smile to your date.  
  
A raven-haired girl with dark and demonic amethyst eyes.  
  
She was dressed in the same whore-like manner that you were.  
  
You say her name is Rei.  
  
You describe her as a beautiful woman with fire in her soul.  
  
I see her as a whore.  
  
Just like you.  
  
I hate you.  
  
I hate what you've become.  
  
I hate your friends.  
  
Most of all, I hate your job.  
  
I stopped caring what happened to you a long time ago.  
  
And I will keep on with this charade until you open your eyes to   
  
the truth.  
  
I used to love you, when you were an innocent little girl.  
  
Now I do not love you anymore, Minako Aino, you self-proclaimed   
  
Goddess of Love.  
  
You have shamed me with your preferences. 


	2. Acceptance

Hello?  
  
Are you there?  
  
Can you hear me from the womb?  
  
You're excited today.  
  
I can tell.  
  
You can't stop kicking me today.  
  
Are you already ready to come out of this womb?  
  
Or maybe you're trying to get yourself comfortable?  
  
Well, take your time.  
  
I won't rush you.  
  
After all, you've only been inside for seven months now.  
  
I play a little of Mozart's music for you.  
  
Yes, you like that, don't you?  
  
I do too, little star.  
  
You always seem calm when I'm outside, taking care of the garden.  
  
Maybe when you grow up, you'll have a greenthumb, right?  
  
And maybe you'll help your mommy dearest when she grows old and   
  
grey?  
  
I have a feeling that you'll be the perfect gentleman.  
  
You'll be a kind, courteous man that'll charm all the ladies.  
  
...Oh no.  
  
I'm thinking about that confining life with my parents again.  
  
How they wanted to keep their blood true and were desperate   
  
enough to think about incest.  
  
The thought disgusted me then and it still does now.  
  
But, you're not going to have to worry about that, little star.  
  
I'm going to raise you to be helpful to others when they need it   
  
the most.  
  
And give you simple things that money can not buy.  
  
...No matter how much people think it can be bought.  
  
Even when your father leaves for work, I am never alone.  
  
Because you're here with me.  
  
Listening to all the world has to offer.  
  
Who knows what you will become.  
  
But, I can say this.  
  
You'll always have a home here.  
  
No matter what you become in life.  
  
I think about your father.  
  
He's such a handsome man.  
  
I bet you'll be as handsome as he is.  
  
And as kind and thoughtful too.  
  
I think you fell asleep.  
  
And I don't mind at all.  
  
I don't mind having you for company.  
  
You're always such a polite guest.  
  
I can't wait to hold you in my arms.  
  
...Even if I fear that I might drop you on the head.  
  
I've been a bit of a klutz recently.  
  
Last night, I accidently broke five dishes when washing them.  
  
Your father relieved me of dishwashing duty.  
  
He joked that if I kept up with it, we wouldn't have a plate   
  
left.  
  
He maybe a bit immature at times, but he has a good heart.  
  
Just like I know you'll have a good heart as well.  
  
My little boy.  
  
I rock back and forth on the rocking chair.  
  
I'm making you a pair of baby blue booties.  
  
I think that they'll look so adorable on you.  
  
Most of my friends have shunned me because I've become a   
  
statistic.  
  
I'm not a statistic.  
  
I'm a young mother.  
  
A young mother that lost everything that she once knew.  
  
Who lives in a small house with lots of room to grow my small   
  
dream.  
  
My small dream to raise a family, even if it's only you and your   
  
father.  
  
Is it wrong for me to want to keep you?  
  
My parents wanted me to have an abortion.  
  
Most of my friends wanted me to give you up to an orphanage.  
  
I say screw them!  
  
As long as your father and I want you in this world...  
  
...You'll always be welcome here in this world.  
  
I yawn, eager for a little nap.  
  
You seemed to have the right idea earlier.  
  
Let's take a nap together, little one.  
  
That way, you and I can dream of a world that'll accept all with   
  
open arms. 


	3. Skeptical

I feel so helpless.  
  
I've been bedridden for seven months, two weeks, thirteen days,   
  
ten hours, fifty-two minutes, and forty-one seconds.  
  
But, who's counting, really?  
  
My pillow feels so soft and my comforter is filled with feathers.  
  
But, staring at the T.V. is driving me crazy.  
  
Ever since my illness, I've always felt so weak.  
  
My husband has ignored me since then.  
  
Then again, he's always ignored me for a long time.  
  
And it's been weeks since I moved back in with my father.  
  
He's so happy to see me and Rei.  
  
He's always praying for my health to improve.  
  
But I know that it'll never improve.  
  
I guess that you can call me a skeptic.  
  
I used to be such an active woman.  
  
But now, the only thing I do is watch T.V.  
  
I hate T.V.  
  
I find that it can warp the minds of the youth.  
  
I've always strived to inspire Rei's mind without the use of that   
  
metal box.  
  
She always loved it whenever I read a couple of fairytales to   
  
her.  
  
I hate feeling this weak.  
  
I hate missing out on Rei's life now.  
  
I know that Rei is taking this the hardest.  
  
Before my illness, she and I have always played together.  
  
She and I would go to the beach and make sand castles.  
  
We would always stop whatever we are doing and watch the sunset   
  
together.  
  
But now, things have changed.  
  
She now prays with my father for my health to improve.  
  
The praying will never help at this point.  
  
Ever since the illness, she's always been helpful.  
  
She's always brushing my hair and bringing me my food.  
  
But she never plays outside anymore.  
  
I always tell her to go outside and play.  
  
But she doesn't listen.  
  
She comes home from school.  
  
And she sneaks in my room.  
  
It's routine for us now.  
  
She tells me of her day at school.  
  
I tell her to go outside and play.  
  
And she looks at me with sad eyes.  
  
She looked like she was ready to cry for me.  
  
And I was about to die of heartache.  
  
I can't stand seeing Rei so sad.  
  
She finally leaves.  
  
But not before giving me a kiss on my forehead.  
  
Three hours have past now.  
  
My eyes felt so tired and heavy.  
  
I feel as though I can't keep them open.  
  
Rei comes in now.  
  
She brings me a bowl of daikon miso soup with a toothy smile on   
  
her face.  
  
Her front tooth was taken out recently.  
  
I missed the chance to remove her tooth when it was dangling   
  
loose.  
  
I'm missing the chance to watch my daughter grow up.  
  
Even though she's only eight.  
  
She doesn't deserve to see me like this.  
  
I want her to always be happy in no matter what she does.  
  
Is there really a higher deity in this universe?  
  
I doubt it.  
  
But, in case there is, I ask for only one thing.  
  
For Rei to be happy, no matter what.  
  
Though, I seriously have my doubts that there's something greater   
  
than humans in this universe.  
  
But, I guess that I'll never know.  
  
Maybe I'll have the answers to all of life's questions in death?  
  
Nah...  
  
That's just stupid talk that my father always says.  
  
I shake my head in doubt, laughing for the first time since I was   
  
diagnosed with my condition.  
  
I refuse to name it because I fear it.  
  
I fear the illness within me.  
  
Eating away at my very soul.  
  
I should stop thinking like this.  
  
It's just killing me, that's all.  
  
Why in the world am I starting to go spiritual now?  
  
It won't save me in the end. 


	4. Isolation

First, we roll it into a ball.  
  
Then, we press the bottom of the glass on the ball of dough.  
  
We count one, two, three, four.  
  
Now lift the glass up, darling.  
  
Perfect.  
  
The cookies now have a snowflake on them.  
  
You say that they don't look like snowflakes?  
  
Well, Ami, what do they look like to you?  
  
You say they look like flowers?  
  
Maybe it's a crystalized star?  
  
We both agree that they look like stars.  
  
I like to imagine them as stars that shine their brilliance down   
  
upon us.  
  
Just like Ami.  
  
The perfect little daughter that will study her hardest to become   
  
a doctor.  
  
Just like me.  
  
We had no cookie cutters.  
  
So, I convinced Ami to use the bottom of the glass for a pretty   
  
design.  
  
And it worked wonderfully.  
  
That was one of the few memories where I spent some time with   
  
Ami.  
  
I never seem to spend enough time with her recently.  
  
And sometimes, her father would up and leave without any warning.  
  
Leaving Ami alone in the house at the tender age of ten.  
  
Now, Ami has no father.  
  
She's always alone at our home all the time now.  
  
But, I know that Ami can take care of herself.  
  
I've always known that she could.  
  
For the longest time, she isolated herself from the world.  
  
Just like I did.  
  
Until I met a certain artist.  
  
He drew me out of my bubble and into the real world.  
  
I married that artist.  
  
And in the end, he divorced me.  
  
He was in love with nature.  
  
He loved the beauty of it far more than the city.  
  
Which he considered as a dismal wasteland.  
  
I didn't want Ami to be drawn out of that bubble by someone that   
  
would be a bad influence on her.  
  
I'm glad that it was Tsukino-san.  
  
She drew Ami out of her bubble of books, homework, and studying.  
  
She's now learning to have fun.  
  
She was in one of the best schools in the country.  
  
And in desperation, I had her transfer to another school.  
  
I feared that she would isolate herself from the world.  
  
Once she started that new school, everything changed for her.  
  
She made some friends at her new school.  
  
Before that, she was angry for being taken out of her old school.  
  
I told her that everything would be okay for her.  
  
And I'm glad that I did that.  
  
Since then, she's been happier there than at her old school.  
  
I'm glad that she's happy.  
  
I'm also glad that she's not alone.  
  
And she graduated high school at the top of her class.  
  
Now, the apartment is always empty.  
  
Ami had moved out a few days ago.  
  
She's an adult now.  
  
She knocks on my door softly.  
  
I'm sitting here, eating some cookies that Ami and I made today.  
  
She comes in here to remind me that I should be in the ER.  
  
And that I should be helping out the sick.  
  
She smiles at me as she takes a cookie.  
  
Now, we're both sitting here, indulging in the cookies that we   
  
made together.  
  
Ignoring our duties as doctors.  
  
Even though every second counts when it comes to our medical   
  
profession.  
  
At the moment, we're not doctors.  
  
We're a mother and a daughter, enjoying cookies together.  
  
These cookies taste so sweet and have lots of sugar in them.  
  
Just like my life.  
  
That's not a good thing. 


	5. Determination

Rain, rain, go away.  
  
Come again another day.  
  
At least, that's what I wish would happen now.  
  
I'm sitting here in this dull airport.  
  
Waiting for our flight to come in.  
  
We've heard that there would be a delay due to all of this rain.  
  
Well, that's to be expected.  
  
After all, today was the day where my husband and I would leave.  
  
For our second honeymoon, that is.  
  
Why are you looking at me like that, Makoto?  
  
She's sitting there in front of me, reading a cookbook.  
  
She wanted to make us a come back soon cake with her Easy-Bake   
  
oven.  
  
But it broke.  
  
Her cousin wanted to see how long it would take for a rat to die   
  
in an Easy-Bake oven.  
  
It took four hours, twenty-two minutes, and fifteen seconds.  
  
He decided to use Makoto's pet rat for the experiment.  
  
Makoto never forgave him for that act.  
  
I had to buy her another Easy-Bake over and another pet rat.  
  
All because of her cousin's cruelty.  
  
He was my nephew.  
  
Such a toad-like little brat from the nine levels of Hell.  
  
He was thrilled that Makoto cried her heart and soul out.  
  
Luckily, she had me, her father, and her friend, Shinosaki, to   
  
cheer her up about it.  
  
If it weren't for Makoto's pleading to not hurt him, I would've   
  
kicked the shit out of my nephew.  
  
Yes, I have a nasty temper when it comes to Makoto.  
  
I hate it when she gets hurt.  
  
Because, then, I have to find someone to blame for the cause of   
  
her pain.  
  
Even my husband has suffered my wrath once.  
  
Makoto has my overprotective disposition and my temper.  
  
I guess that's why I always receive letters from teachers that   
  
tell me that she's been in a fight at school.  
  
She once came home with lots of bruises.  
  
She was beaten up by a boy.  
  
Because she was defending her friends.  
  
There was no way in hell that I was going to allow that boy get   
  
away with it.  
  
So, I enrolled her in judo classes.  
  
She learned how to take her anger out positively.  
  
And to defend herself, in case that jerk ever came back.  
  
He did come back.  
  
This time, he was the one crying home to his mother.  
  
And my Makoto came back as a champion.  
  
Then, one day, she came home in tears.  
  
All because girls didn't want her to play house with them.  
  
So, to balance her out, I taught her how to cook and clean.  
  
You know, give her a feminine side that balances out her tough,   
  
aggressive side.  
  
And, I inspired her dream.  
  
She had decided that she wanted to be a chef that ran her own   
  
restaurant.  
  
I smile at that.  
  
Becoming a chef was an excellent idea.  
  
So, on the weekends, I took her along with me to my job.  
  
I work as a Home Economics teacher in a college.  
  
All of my students love Makoto.  
  
They think of her as a precious, little darling.  
  
Even though she's tall for her age.  
  
She gets that from her father.  
  
All of her relatives are tall on his side of the family.  
  
I'm leaving Makoto in the care of his family while we're on our   
  
vacation.  
  
But, there was one problem.  
  
My husband hates planes.  
  
I roll my eyes at him, annoyed that he would be afraid of a steel   
  
bird.  
  
Well, a gigantic steel bird that can crash at any point in time   
  
if the plane fucks up for some idiotic reason.  
  
I keep telling him to not be such a fucking pansy.  
  
Then, he kindly reminds me to not curse in front of Makoto.  
  
...Sorry for my language, Makoto.  
  
Old habits tend to die hard.  
  
You laugh cheerfully.  
  
You're amused that I simply don't give a shit what people think   
  
about my behavior.  
  
I guess I'm just a brash, crassy old lady.  
  
Then, my husband kindly points out that I'm only thirty-five.  
  
Geez, thanks a lot, sweetheart.  
  
But, did you have to remind me exactly HOW old I am?  
  
Of course, Makoto doesn't care how old I am.  
  
She just hopes that I come back soon from my trip.  
  
And so, when our flight number is called, I give Makoto one last   
  
hug before we head for our plane.  
  
...Stop squeezing my arm so tightly, dear husband of mine.  
  
This plane isn't going to crash, you big lunkhead! 


	6. Distraction

Here comes the bride.  
  
Full of joy and life.  
  
She looked so beautiful today in her wedding dress.  
  
And Mamoru-san looks dashing in his wedding tuxedo.  
  
But, not everything is going smoothly.  
  
Shingo, stop fighting with Haruka-san!  
  
It's Usagi's wedding day and my son just won't behave today.  
  
I think he's afraid of losing his big sister.  
  
But, at least he's inside the church.  
  
Kenji is smoking a bunch of cigars in our car.  
  
He's basically giving himself enough courage to go inside and   
  
face the fact that his daughter is growing up.  
  
And that he's seeing his baby girl turn into a woman.  
  
The maid of honor comes in, with her wavy orange hair decorated   
  
with a white bow.  
  
And the best man...  
  
...What a hunk!  
  
Oh, excuse me.  
  
I shouldn't be talking about Mamoru's best friend like that.  
  
But still, he is a handsome man, just like Mamoru.  
  
And just like Shingo.  
  
As soon as he grows up and learns not to pick fights during   
  
special occasions.  
  
...Despite him being eighteen.  
  
I sigh, with a smile on my face.  
  
Planning a wedding was harder than I thought.  
  
But, my dream is coming true at last!  
  
My daughter will finally be married.  
  
And I am honored to be her mother.  
  
One child down, one to go.  
  
Shingo is going to be a tough one to marry off.  
  
Don't think that I'm pushing them away.  
  
In fact, sometimes, I'm more like Kenji than I realize.  
  
If I could, I would keep Usagi as a precious six year old and   
  
Shingo as an adorable three-year old.  
  
But then, I would get a backache from all the times that I would   
  
lift both of them in my arms at the same time.  
  
I'm happy that my babies are growing up.  
  
Kenji, unfortunately, isn't as happy as I am.  
  
He finally comes into the church.  
  
His eyes looked so red.  
  
He must've been crying a lot for a while.  
  
And I don't smell cigar smoke on him.  
  
Okay, so he wasn't smoking.  
  
He was crying for his loss, as though his daughter was kidnapped.  
  
I can hear Shingo say something stupid about weddings.  
  
Following my instincts, I smack him upside his head with a fan.  
  
I can't believe that he said that "weddings are more depressing   
  
than funerals".  
  
Shingo glares at me, but not before sitting down quietly.  
  
I told him already that he was the ring boy.  
  
And his words were something along the line of "Get yourself   
  
another idiot to carry their stupid wedding rings."  
  
Being the pushy woman I am, I grab him by his ear and shove the   
  
pillow in his hands.  
  
He was about to argue with me again.  
  
But, I silenced him with a death glare, warning him to behave.  
  
He grumbles angrily, muttering something under his breath that   
  
had hurt my feelings.  
  
He said that I favored Usagi over him.  
  
I love both of you.  
  
Though, lately, he has aquired an attitude similar to that   
  
Inuyasha character on his favorite show.  
  
Finally, the wedding march begins.  
  
Little Naruru and Hotaru were the beautiful flower girls.  
  
I loved the little flower wreathes that I made for them.  
  
Then, the four bridesmaids came out.  
  
Each of them with their current love interest.  
  
Well, not all of them were in love with each other.  
  
Some were in denial.  
  
Others were so close, they might as well be married.  
  
And then, beautiful Naru as the maid of honor came out.  
  
Finally my baby girl comes out, clutched to the best man's arm.  
  
Though, I wished that Kenji would've escorted her down the line.  
  
You can't have everything, I suppose.  
  
I remember when Usagi once came home with a stray puppy.  
  
She wanted to keep him because he looked so lonely.  
  
In the end, I caved in. And we named him Dustball  
  
We had him for a few years before he died.  
  
A car ran over Dustball.  
  
Then, a few months later, Luna came into our lives.  
  
That cat is smarter than most people notice.  
  
I once called her a crescent moon baldie.  
  
She looked like she was deciding what was the most painful place   
  
to scratch me.  
  
Why am I thinking about the past now?  
  
I just missed the bride and groom's kiss.  
  
All of that planning has gone to waste!  
  
Kenji said that he recorded it and that I can watch it when we   
  
get home.  
  
But, I missed it.  
  
How could I have missed it like that?  
  
It's not fair! 


	7. Influence

What is it now, dear daughter?  
  
You need me to fix your toy?  
  
I can't right now.  
  
Mommy is busy.  
  
I'm busy running our peaceful world.  
  
Keeping peace treaties intact and annexing countries into our   
  
world.  
  
Conforming them into our perfect ideal society.  
  
A society that will not tolerate stupidity or wishful thinking.  
  
Or the idiotic dreams of little children.  
  
I'm too busy trying to perfect a city.  
  
A city as perfect as the ginzuishou itself.  
  
Which you shall inherit when my time has passed.  
  
I'm too busy to help you with your toys.  
  
Ask daddy to help you out.  
  
He still has his wishful, small dreams.  
  
Dreams which get on my nerves.  
  
He wants to build a city with lots of plants and beauty.  
  
Beauty is only skin deep.  
  
You often ask me why daddy is so sad.  
  
He's sad because he mourns for the plants that no longer exist.  
  
Not even our cherry trees exist anymore in this city.  
  
Even his beloved roses, which he tries so hard to grow everyday.  
  
You say that flowers are very pretty.  
  
You wish that they do come back.  
  
I say that your father is filling your head with nonsense.  
  
Just fairytale and wishful nonsense.  
  
I'll have to talk to him about it tonight.  
  
He knows that he should inspire your heart.  
  
But not with fairytales and fables.  
  
You look at me with sad eyes.  
  
And I ask you why you're sad.  
  
You tell me that I was being mean.  
  
That I was not being reasonable.  
  
I stare at you, getting a good look at your face.  
  
Despite wearing my hairstyle, you look more like your father.  
  
And you have your father's tender heart.  
  
I hate that sometimes.  
  
Before he became King, he always kept what he thought to himself.  
  
But now, he speaks his mind all the time.  
  
He wants the city to be built in a different way.  
  
He wants to do things differently.  
  
He's not being practical and reasonable.  
  
Certain sacrifices must be made in order to obtain paradise.  
  
But, of course, he doens't understand.  
  
You start to cry.  
  
I tell you to not cry.  
  
Little princesses can't cry.  
  
They have to be strong enough to comfort the world in times of   
  
crisis and parril.  
  
They don't have time to cry.  
  
That is the only way.  
  
So, go along now and play while you can.  
  
For tomorrow, you're going to become a different child.  
  
I love you dear child.  
  
But, you can't have your father's dreamy influence affect you at   
  
all.  
  
So, I'll talk to him and he will listen to my demands.  
  
Knowing him, he won't listen.  
  
And now, we'll have another thing we disagree about.  
  
We always seem to be fighting all the time now for what we want.  
  
I look outside the window.  
  
She's outside right now.  
  
Playing with her father.  
  
They're playing on this artificial grass.  
  
I had it placed all over the city to satisfy his whim.  
  
But he is still unhappy.  
  
He hates the artificial grass.  
  
He loves the world outside of Crystal Tokyo.  
  
Where farmers grow the vegetables and fruits that we eat.  
  
He loves nature.  
  
And he's giving that love of nature to our baby girl.  
  
The heir to the throne.  
  
My daughter.  
  
The one that shall take my place when I die.  
  
And the one that will be the one that will do the most logical   
  
thing.  
  
That is, if her stupid father doesn't tell her one thing.  
  
And that would be to follow her heart.  
  
I did that and it was horrible.  
  
So, I shall teach her the right way.  
  
That is, if he doesn't become too much of an influence to her. 


	8. Author's Notes

AUTHOR'S NOTES FOR PERCEPTION  
  
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
  
I didn't want to ruin the story by placing the notes in them, so I made a seperate file for them.  
  
This all started off when I was writing Hatred. Afterwards, it felt empty and so, I wrote six more in the same writing style that I wrote Hatred in. So, I'd have to say that Hatred is the piece that started it off.  
  
Hatred - Was written after reading a writing prompt on the board. It was to write a short story involving a pick-up truck, silver earrings, and lipstick.   
  
Acceptance - Right after I wrote Hatred, I wrote this, in hopes of writing a bit of fluff.   
  
Skeptical - This chapter, along with the next three, were written at the same time. I had no plan in mind for the other three, so I just wrote what I could think of at the time.   
  
Isolation - This chapter was inspired by the beginning of the SuperS movie, where Ami mentions that her mother was a busy woman. So, I worked with that and just went with the flow.   
  
Determination - This chapter was fun to write. It's also close to my heart since I used my mom as a source of inspiration for this piece.   
  
Distraction - This one was difficult to write, since my mind was tired and I had no idea what to write for it. So, I just went with the flow (again) and this is the result.  
  
Influence - The final chapter and another dark piece. Maybe it's me, but I just can't write a nice Usagi. Maybe it's because too many write her as nice when there's so many dynamics to her character.  
  
So, comments, constructive criticism, and flames are appreciated. ^_^  
  
Sakura the Cookie Monster 


End file.
